In Ancient Egypt and the Far East, sweet flag rhizomes were believed to act as potent aphrodisiacs, but they have since been used for many other purposes. Once consumed as a candy by the Dutch, rhizomes of sweet flag plants have sometimes been employed to fight infectious diseases and to make products such as tea and dry shampoo. Other parts of sweet flag plants and their extracts enjoy a long history of utility, as well, especially as components of medicinal remedies. However, modern studies suggest that some sweet flag species have carcinogenic properties and, consequently, the plant extracts have been banned from products intended for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration.